Chapter 10

Watching a friendship collapse hurts just as much as a breakup.

To find out the truth, I called Aves the next day and told her I wanted to have dinner at her place after work.

She happily agreed.

That night, after we ate, her parents stayed in the kitchen cleaning up while Aves watered her plants on the balcony.

When she wasn’t paying attention, I quietly slipped into her room and crawled under her bed. Then I texted her:

“Just got a call from the office—something’s wrong with the data. I need to go back immediately. Already downstairs.”

Aves totally bought it, even reminded me to drive safely.

The floor was hard and freezing, and I was terrified, but nothing happened for a long, long time.

Aves sat at her desk reading, the room so silent I didn’t dare breathe too loud.

I don’t know how much time passed before she finally stood up.

Then—she undressed.

Completely.

Her bare body walked across the room, opened her desk drawer, and pulled out a black wooden box.

I peeked through the gap under the bed—and nearly screamed.

A massive black centipede crawled out of the box. It twisted across the desk, and Aves reached out her index finger to touch it.

The centipede bit her.

Instantly.

Like it was drinking. Within seconds, its body swelled grotesquely, its entire shell turning a glossy blood-red.

It lay on the desk, pulsing—swelling, shrinking, swelling again—until the color gradually darkened and it returned to its normal black form.

My hand flew over my mouth.

Aves opened another black wooden box and took out a jade cicada. She set it on the desk. The centipede instantly crawled toward it and slipped inside.

Then Aves picked up the cicada—

—and pushed it inside her body.

I couldn’t hold back the scream. I exploded out from under the bed and bolted toward the room door.

But the moment I reached the living room, her parents standing by the door.

“Gia? Didn’t you go back to the office? Why are you still here?”

Aves appeared behind me, smiling sweetly.

I turned around. She’d already put her clothes back on, hands hidden behind her back.

“I came back after going downstairs,” I forced out, trying to sound normal. “Thought I’d sneak in and scare you.”

“Oh? Did you scare me?” Her smile stretched wider and wider.

I didn’t know whether I scared her—but she absolutely did.

What kind of normal person puts a  jade cicada containing a centipede inside themselves? Even a pervert wouldn’t do that.

“Aves… it’s late. I should go.”

I tried to keep my voice gentle, but fear made it sound like I was about to cry.

“You saw my secret,” she said softly. “How could I let you leave?”

“I won’t say anything. We’ve been friends for years. I swear—I won’t tell anyone.”

She chuckled. Low. Mean.

Her hand slid out from behind her back, and she was holding a gleaming knife.

“Aves… what are you going to do?” My voice shook uncontrollably.

“Gia, it’s better if you die. That way all your assets will be mine.”

Her parents lunged at me. Each grabbed one of my arms, and a hand clamped over my mouth.

“Do it. Kill her,” her mother urged.

Rage surged in my throat. Last night her mother was telling me I was like a daughter to her. Lies. All of it.

Aves walked toward me, that awful grin still on her face, the knife aimed straight at my chest.